OMF Newsletter – February 2017

We are pleased to share with you a recent interview with Dr. Ron Davis recorded in his office at Stanford University.

Research is moving quickly and we are committed to keeping you informed. Our goal is to fast-track research. Your support and donations help to accelerate our pace. Please donate today to support revolutionary research and invite your family and friends to join you.

A special thank you to Elledge Bowers, Jenny Berntsen and Tina Tidmore for creating this special interview video.

We are happy to announce that OMF and Scientific Advisory Board member Dr. Robert Naviaux at University of California, San Diego (UCSD), are now collaborating with Director Oliver Fiehn, PhD and his team at the West Coast Metabolomics Center (WCMC), University of California, Davis (UCD).

Dr. Naviaux’s Metabolomics Validation study update:
“We have exceeded our original goal of 110 samples. We have collected 72 samples from females (36 CFS + 36 Controls), and 54 samples from males (28 CFS and 26 Controls). The total in-house is 126 samples. This is a 50% increase in the size of the study from our 84 samples in study #1.”

From UCSD: The biological replication will come from the metabolomic analysis of the independent cohort of patients with ME/CFS using the mass spec methods developed at UCSD as in the first paper. All patients have been collected and testing has commenced. This will take 4-6 months (hopefully sooner).

From UCD: The analytical replication will come from a replicate analysis of the same samples using similar mass spectometry methods running the same tests by Dr. Oliver Fiehn’s team at UCD – OMF has funded this study as well and it will commence in March.

The results from UCD will be compared to the first and second metabolomics study and all should be completed by July. This testing will be blinded without reviewing results from Dr Naviaux’s validation study until completed. Dr. Fiehn will receive de-identified samples and will be using the same methodology. Each test that is tested within Dr Naviaux’s study will be tested in this study on a similar Mass Spectrometer platform.

About the UC Davis Team:
Director Oliver Fiehn and his team at the West Coast Metabolomics Center (WCMC) are committed to provide research and services conducting research in metabolomic method developments and biomedical applications. Professor Fiehn and his team pioneered developments and applications in metabolomics since 1998 with over 220 publications to date. Professor Fiehn specifically focuses on lipids and primary metabolism in cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, nutrition and metabolic syndrome projects. The WCMC is dedicated to provide further standardization and higher content in biochemical information through automatic annotation of metabolites and by using a range of chemical and biochemical database identifiers with every report we generate.

Dr. Davis’ Genetics Component update:

“Our lab has received immune cells from the patient samples of Dr. Naviaux’s metabolomics study. We will conduct extensive DNA sequence analyses looking for alterations in the sequence that indicate decreased functioning of genes that might correlate with the variations in the metabolic results. The goal is to determine if some of the differences in metabolites seen between patients can be explained by genetic differences. This analysis may explain some of the varied symptoms experienced by patients. It is possible that what appear to be subtypes of this disease are caused by genetic differences interacting with a basic metabolic process. There could be a fundamental mechanism common to all ME/CFS patients. We would like to find a treatment that impacts a fundamental mechanism.”

OMF Welcomes Jaime Seltzer

In the international ME/CFS community Jaime Seltzer is well-known for her stellar work at #MEACTION. Many may not know that Jaime is also a scientist and professor. Bringing together her skills and passions, Jaime is joining the OMF team for a three-month internship working with Dr. Davis’ ME/CFS team at Stanford University. Jaime will be supporting critical research projects.

In addition, during her tenure Jaime will be helping with research communication and promotion. We are very excited to welcome Jaime to this new role.

OMF Maximizes Visit to the Sundance Film Festival

OMF had the privilege of being Producer/Director Jennifer Brea‘s guest for the world premiere of her film, Unrest, and subsequent screenings at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Unrest‘s sold out audiences gave Jennifer Brea heartfelt standing ovations. The premiere was attended by Dr. Ron Davis, his daughter, Ashley Haugen, and CEO/President, Linda Tannenbaum.

Question and Answer sessions were held at the Premiere and after screening throughout the week with the crew and special guests including Dr. Ron Davis, Linda Tannenbaum, Dr. Janet Dafoe and Ashley Haugen.

The film is truly beautiful and something that the public needs to see.

Maximizing our time in Utah, OMF arranged several meetings to talk about ME/CFS research. Dr. Ron Davis and Linda Tannenbaum met with Scientific Advisory Board members Mario Capecchi, PhD and Baldomero Olivera, PhD together with University of Utah’s Kathleen Light, PhD and Alan Light, PhD. Dr. Davis and Linda also had the opportunity to meet with Lucinda Bateman, MD and Suzanne Vernon, PhD of the Bateman Horne Center. Finding answers to help patients is at the forefront of everything we do every day.

Open Medicine FoundationTax ID: 26-4712664

Our Mission:

To support collaborative medical research to find effective treatments and diagnostic markers.

To communicate, engage and inform the patient community.

To help drive & support scientific meetings for continued global collaboration.

A Word from our CEO/President:

As you read above, OMF’s research is making great strides. We are moving forward in identifying potential biomarkers, understanding the mechanisms of ME/CFS and focusing on finding effective treatments and a cure.

From our current major studies we are learning about critical opportunities that need further exploration to find answers.

In order for OMF to move quickly with these investigations, we need the support of the global ME/CFS community to fund new studies. Please consider making a meaningful donation to support research. Every gift, of every size, will help to move us closer to answers.